Final Plans for Trump's Triumphal Arch Submitted for Review

The Department of Interior has submitted final plans for President Donald Trump's proposed Triumphal Arch, also referred to as the Monumental Arch, to the National Capital Planning Commission for its review. The submission includes updated traffic and lighting plans for the structure.

The proposed arch, envisioned as a 250-story monument, would feature a golden winged statue atop holding a torch with an "eternal flame." The Interior Department states this design ensures the flame is visible from all angles, day and night, while maintaining visual comfort for drivers, visitors, and the surrounding environment. The Federal Aviation Administration has also mandated the eternal flame's visibility for pilots as part of its safety review, having determined the structure would not pose a hazard to aircraft.

Final plans also incorporate changes such as the removal of 15 proposed traffic signal posts and modifications to traffic circulation routes. The project summary indicates that environmental and historical considerations have been reviewed by relevant government agencies and found to have no significant impact.

The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to review the plans on November 5. The proposed arch is slated for construction at the foot of Arlington National Cemetery, situated on National Park Service land across the Potomac River. Since President Trump first announced the project in October 2025, it has encountered opposition and legal challenges concerning its location and potential impact on the surrounding area.

The arch would stand more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial and surpass the height of France's Arc de Triomphe. The administration has previously acknowledged that the arch's location along the Potomac River would cause "adverse effects" on the riverfront's setting and views, though it asserted these impacts could not be fully avoided due to the site's centrality to the project.

President Trump has also claimed on his social media platform that the arch is being built for national security purposes at the Pentagon's request, suggesting it would also function as a "top-grade Military Complex." The Pentagon has declined to comment on this assertion.

According to planning documents released earlier this year by the Interior Department, the National Park Service anticipates construction will occur over a two-to-three-year period, with work scheduled for 20 hours per day.